Test Your Memory-Spanish version (TYM-S): a validation study of a self-administered cognitive screening test

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Gerontology
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Cognitive impairment is a growing concern in aging populations.
• Accurate screening tools are crucial for early diagnosis and intervention.
• Existing cognitive tests may require adaptation for diverse linguistic and cultural groups.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the Test Your Memory-Spanish version (TYM-S) for a Chilean older adult sample.
• To assess the psychometric properties and diagnostic accuracy of the TYM-S.
• To establish cut-off points for identifying dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Main Methods:

• The Test Your Memory (TYM) was translated and culturally adapted into Spanish (TYM-S).
• The TYM-S was administered to controls, dementia patients, and individuals with MCI.
• Convergent validity, internal consistency, sensitivity, and specificity were evaluated using established cognitive measures and functional assessments.

Main Results:

• The TYM-S demonstrated strong convergent validity, correlating significantly with measures of global cognition, executive function, dementia severity, and functional capacity.
• Internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's α) was 0.776.
• Optimal cut-off scores identified dementia with 93.1% sensitivity and 82.2% specificity, and MCI with 85.7% sensitivity and 69% specificity.

Conclusions:

• The TYM-S is a valid and reliable cognitive screening instrument for Spanish-speaking older adults.
• It possesses good psychometric properties and diagnostic accuracy for dementia and MCI.
• The test's ability to rapidly assess multiple cognitive domains supports its clinical utility, despite potential limitations regarding required assistance.